“ The walking began again, but to where?” The book A Long Walk To Water by Linda Sue Park illustrates the struggles and issues that are affecting the people of Southern Sudan. The story has 2 perspectives, one being a girl named Nya who is part of the Nuer tribe in 2009. The other is the life of a boy named Salva who is DInka. Despite the differences in their background they are both faced with difficult crises.
Armed conflict was a big part of this story and was first illustrated in the very beginning. “Gunfire, everyone down. The teacher shouted,” (1). This is when the Sudanese soldiers from the north break into Salva’s school and force them out. This illustrates armed conflict by people breaking into a school to threaten the students and teachers with guns. Another time armed conflict is illustrated is on page 62. “As Salva watched one of the men aim his
…show more content…
“Going, the plastic container held only air,” (5). Young girls have the responsibility to get water for their families every day. Since they don't have school they spend the whole morning walking to the pond to get water for their families. And it's not like its clean water, its muddy pond water. But the people have no choice because it's all they have. “ To the pond and back,” (20). Every day for the whole wet season girls go to the pond and back. Carrying gallons of muddy water on their heads. During the book Nya’s younger sister gets a bad waterborne illness. The whole family walks for days to a medical clinic. The doctor gives her sister medication and tells them “She should only drink clean water,” (45). But how is she supposed to get access to clean water? The doctor recommends boiling the water to kill the parasites. But there is no guarantee that there is enough water to withstand the evaporation. Waterborne illnesses are essentially impossible to avoid when 59% of the population in southern Sudan does not have access to clean drinking